The year is young, and any work that is assigned in January can pretty much be put off until February, so take advantage of the opportunity to get the hell out of Morningside Heights and enjoy yourself. Columbia’s only sketch comedy group, Chowdah, is performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre on Saturday January 28th. They are competing in the “Back Yard Brawl” against another upstart sketch comedy group. Reservations are required, and the theatre is small.

Bwog caught up with Charlie Dinkin from Chowdah for a quick chat:

Bwog: So, uh, what in the world is this?

Chowdah: As comedy geeks our favorite (and only…) date spot is the UCB, where you can see great comedy fo’ cheap or free every night of the week. This particular show we’d all heard of but never actually seen, but Charlie found out that NYU had been doing it for 8 months, got jealous and sent an email application with a sample sketch. We were only accepted last week so we don’t have much time to prepare…but we’re so excited and ready to do our best!

Bwog: NYU-envy. Cool. So, why are you worthy?

Chowdah: We sent a sketch and said a prayer…each week a team is eliminated so the turnover rate was probably in our favor. We didn’t have to battle any dragons, so we’re suspicious that the hard part is yet to come…

Bwog: Who are you matched up against? What are your odds? What’s the master plan?

Chowdah: We’re going to be ‘brawling’ against Dinner for One, which is a team of Emerson graduates. They’re great, so we need to bring our A-game, but we’re using some of our biggest and best sketches and we’re going to have more than one rehearsal. As model Columbia students we’re obviously there to WIN, but also we just want to have fun, give as many members of the group a chance to perform in this special theater, and share the evening with our friends and community.

Bwog: Alright. So the most important question: Why should we get off our of asses and actually LEAVE Morningside Heights?

Chowdah: Well, this is the best way to demonstrate some actual school pride for a Columbia team that doesn’t suck…it’s more fun than Butler, only $5, there’ll be a great atmosphere, you can look like you know all about fringe comedy in New York, and you can drink with Chowdah afterwards!! The winner is decided by a vote so you’ll be directly contributing to Chowdah’s landslide victory and exercising your democratic right. Also we’ll give you free tickets to our next (free) show!!! What a deal!!!

UCB logo via Dasariski

It’s the last hurrah before finals.  Music, theatre, and the disposal of the year’s leftover free food.  Join in!

Monday

BC Spirit Day:  In-dorm Krispy Kreme, a barbecue (hopefully for real this time), and a carnival.  If none of that piques your interest, go just to be among the first to know the new name of the Nexus at 3PM.  11:30 AM to 9:30 PM @ Lehman Lawn.

Chamber Ensembles: The Music Performance Program hosts Columbia student classical ensembles.  It’s an evening of Schumann, Mozart, and Ravel.  8:00 PM @ Philosophy Lounge.

Wednesday

Big Apple BBQ: Every student life organization ever created is joining forces for Dining’s day off, featuring waffles, pizza, dumplings, dosas, and much more.  5:00 PM @ South Lawn.

Blaeu String Quartet: An extension of the resident Moebius Ensemble.  Arriaga, Schubert, Kodaly, Janacek.  8:00 PM @ Casa Italiana. 

Friday

Varsity Show: That one time the entire campus comes together to hate on itself under one roof.  F @ 8, Sa @ 8, Su @ 3, 8.

Monday

Columbia College Days: The Campus Life Committee starts its attempt to muster up school spirit today.  M-F.

Tuesday

The Darfur Debate: It’s a chance to see Mahmood Mamdani debate.  Genocide?  Sudan?  The International Criminal Court?  They’ll yak it up.  6:00 PM @ Cowin Aud, TC.

Wednesday

US vs. Iran: The major turning points in Iran’s relationship with the West.  12:30 PM @ IAB 1118.

Thursday

CUSearch: Register for this CPA extravaganza-cum-scavenger hunt.  Plus, it’s an excuse to take silly pictures of yourself.

Friday

LateNite: It’s back for Spring semester.  One-acts by Ariel Karlin, Rob Trump, Stephanie Neel, Alish Erman, and Justin Grace.  R, F Sa 11:00 PM @ Lerner Black Box.

Monday

CUO Concert: Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, op. 33 featuring Elizabeth Lyon, cello, winner of the CUO concerto competition, and Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, op. 14.  8:00 PM @ Miller Theatre.  Also 8:00 PM Tuesday @ Roone Auditorium.

Tuesday

Westminster Boys’ Choir: Yes, that choir.  Sponsored by the OUC.  6:00 PM @ St. Paul’s Chapel.

Wednesday

Ownership of Scholarly Works: After you write your last CC paper, who owns it?  3:00 PM @ Davis Aud, Schapiro CEPSR.

Friday

Matsuri 2009: A Japanese cultural festival with lots of free stuff.  4:00 PM @ Low Plaza.

It’s the final stretch.  Post-break, you might have time for a few distractions.

Photo via mycaricatures.co.uk

Monday

Society, Toleration, and the Jews: Ira Katznelson, professor of political science and history, will discuss toleration “as an alternative to persecution.”  Sounds good to us.  6:15 PM @ Low Rotunda.

Tuesday

Brinkley, Foner, and Stiglitz: Capitalism is in crisis.  How will it affect our politics?  Probably the same way every other economic crisis has: protectionism.  7:30 PM @ 309 Havemeyer.

Indian Chief Justice P.N. Bhagwati: Interpreting the country’s relatively new constitution in favor of broad human rights.  5:00 PM @ 101 Jerome Greene Hall.

Wednesday

New York City at 400: Representations of the island through time; part of a year-long celebration of a really old city.  7:00 PM @ Deutsches Haus 420 W. 116th St

Thursday

Free screening of Defiance: Hosted by Ferris Reel.  7:30 @ Roone Cinema.

Unexpectedly Dancing in Boise: A CC senior’s thesis has gone off-broadway.  TRF, 8:00 PM @ The Producer’s Club Theatres, 44th St. between 8th and 9th Ave.

Friday

Chowdah: Brand new, sexy material.  9:00 PM @ Wien Lounge.

While you block it all out, they’re giving lectures about keeping your life on track in this newly-disordered world.

Photo by LBD

Monday

How to Think About the Financial Crisis: Famous Indian Economist Prabhat Patnaik and some guy named Stiglitz will be talking about dealing with the consequences of These Economic Times.  11:00 AM @ 301 Uris.

Tuesday

Globalization and Higher Education: Indian economist and professor Deepak Nayyar, whose improperly-capitalized Wikipedia page is more like a resume, will be lecturing.  4:00 PM @ 306 Russell Hall, TC.

Wednesday

Short Films, Re: Asia: The AAA, OPS, and others present a series of short films on the “Asian Diaspora.”  They’re promising “light food and refreshments,” which are always welcome.  7:00 PM @ Broadway Room, Lerner.

Thursday

CNN Correspondent on Leadership: Moderated by PrezBo, apparently the World Leaders Forum also includes broadcast news correspondents.  6:00 PM @ Casa Italiana.

Photo via Wikipedia

Starting in about fifteen minutes in Roone Auditorium is the Columbia Festival of Winds.  It sounds like a Zelda game, but it’s arguably more fun than that.  Seven ensembles, including the Wycliffe Gordon Quartet, will be performing until 9:30 tonight.

Tickets are $15, but that comes out to a mere $1.58 per hour.  And all that benefits music education programs in New York City.

The famed quartet will be making their appearance around 8:00 PM, but there’ll be plenty of great music (and a few Powerpoints, we daresay) until then.

Veritas is on campus this week; here’s your list of things to do.

Image via Earth Institute

Monday

Sachs Lecture: Entitled “Promoting Global Understanding of Sustainable Development,” it’s really just an opportunity to hear the man speak for two hours.  4:00 PM @ Journalism Lecture Hall.

Affirmative Action: The CU Dems and Republicans face off.  8:00 PM @ Roone Cinema.

Tuesday

God and Morality: Eisenbach is back, this time with Dr. William Lane Craig from the Talbot School of Theology.  8:00 PM @ Roone Auditorium.

Wednesday

Stiglitz on Owning Science: Scientific, economic, and legal perspectives on the effect on global health of private ownereship.  6:30 PM @ Davis Aud, CEPSR.

Friday

CCSC Iron Chef: Teams of students battle it out in a competition to make the most college-friendly food.  5:00 PM @ Party Space.

We’re forced to venture off-campus on Wednesday, but it’s good for you.  Bwog presents a list of things to do next week.

Photo via xlibs.xl.funpic.de

Monday

Global Development and Human (In)security: Technology, the Internet, and a form of Islam.

2:00 PM @ 918 IAB

Tuesday

Bach and Hasse: The Columbia Classical Performers and The Collegium Musicum.  8:00 PM @ St. Paul’s Chapel

Wednesday

Paris & NYC Fashion Culture: The origins of modern fashion aesthetics, from film to architecture.  MCNY until 2/22

Thursday

Open Science: It’s a good thing.  A panel hosted by CUL and the Scholarly Communication Program to conclude that sharing information is better than not sharing information.  3:00 PM @ Davis Aud, CEPSR

Friday

Charles L. Mee’s “Big Love”: A discussion with the playwright followed by a performance.  6:30 PM discussion @ Dodge Hall, 8:00 PM performance @ Riverside Theatre, 91 Claremont Ave.

Compiling the best of the meta lists since 2006.

Monday

Paul Muldoon: The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet will read selections of his poetry, followed by an interview.  501 Schermerhorn @ 8:00 PM.

Tuesday

Adam Kirsch [pdf]: The senior editor of The New Republic will discuss the lives of Allen Ginsberg and Lionel Trilling.  501 Schermerhorn @ 8:00 PM.

Wednesday

Greenhouse Gases: They’re bad, yes, but how do we reduce emissions?  A focus group and panel.  David Aud. (CEPSR) @ 5:00 PM.

Thursday

Traditional Japanese Music:  Traditional instruments along with help from the CU Gagaku Instrumental Ensemble.  Followed by a reception.  Low Rotunda @ 6:00 PM.

The powers that be are determined to confine us to our rooms.  A smattering of events around campus, served with the usual levity.

Monday

Israel.  Gaza.  Their supports, all in once place: showdown on the steps.  We’ll have more details later today. Lunchtimeish @ Alma Mater’s house.

Tuesday

Columbia’s resident string quartets are back.  Haydn, for free, at lunch.  12:30 PM @ Philosophy Lounge.

Wednesday

Take a nap.  This is the last chance you’ll get this semester.

Thursday

Community Impact presents Earl Jam the Third.  In other words, an open mic with a side of grilled cheese.  Check the Bwog sidebar for more information, including signups.  8:00 PM @ Party Space.

Friday

Public stargazing from the top of Pupin begins this week, and will continue every second Friday.  7:00 PM @ Pupin.

Bwog almost passed over this event, but was stopped by the subtitle: “The Lives of Cross-Dressed Male Sex Workers in Early Postwar Japan.”  For kicks, 12:00 PM @ 918 IAB.

It’s Monday morning, Thanksgiving is close but not close enough, and we’re guessing that probably don’t feel like doing much. Columbia offers a slew of somewhat obscure events to make you feel like you’re taking advantage of where you go to school today, which we have assembled for you after the jump. 

Read more…

Morningside slows down in the Halloween runup, unless you’re at MoWi or DR (fun!).  Here’s some things you can do before the long weekend.

Monday

Lunchtime Concerts – Haydn “Sun” Quartets: The Daedalus Quartet, in residence at Columbia, performs this week.  Reviewed by the New York Times last week.  12:30 PM @ Philosophy Lounge.  Also Tuesday, Wednesday.

Tuesday

Sachs Student Lecture: Jeffrey Sachs on “Progress and Challenges in the Millennium Villages.”  5:00 PM @ Miller Theatre.

Read more…

Procrastinate close to home.

Monday

Jeffrey Sachs, George Soros, Nouriel Roubini: About saving the world economy.  Moderated by John Roberts of CNN, formerly of CBS.  We’ll LectureHop if you can’t make it.  3:30 PM @ Miller Theater.

Tuesday

Men’s Soccer vs. Lafayette: As Bwog noted on Friday, they’ve had a mixed season.  But the uncertainty makes for a more exciting game, right?  7:00 PM @ waytoofaruptown.

Wednesday

Divided We Fall: A film about the change in American mindset towards Sikhs and Muslims in the post-9/11 world.  7:00 PM @ Lerner Cinema.

Thursday

World Leaders – Global Sustainability: Various people discussing environmental stewardship and the role of New York City residents.  Hosted by PrezBo, moderated by Steven Cohen, Chief Operating Officer of The Earth Institute.  7:00 PM @ Miller Theater.

You still have an hour and a half left in the activities fair! Hurry up before all the snacks run out (SGB is still serving samoosas and chicken wings, for those out to ruin their diets). Feel free to refer to the following extremely approximate cartogram for locations, and see highlights after the jump.

Read more…